P&B Solo Southern Area Championship at Bough Beech Sailing Club

Guy Lonsdale and Chris Brown reaching for the leeward mark during the Solo Southern Area Championship at Bough Beech © Martyn Smith

Vince Horey leads a group to the line during the Solo Southern Area Championship at Bough Beech © Martyn Smith

As visitors from as far afield as South Cerney and Draycote rigged for the P&B Sponsored Solo Southern Area Championship at Bough Beech on 28 May, they could be forgiven for wondering if they were about to make the best use of a Bank Holiday Saturday. The feeble North easterly and light rain did not look promising. RO Brian Whitmey warned that this was a tricky wind direction at Bough Beech, and placing the windward mark near a tree-lined bank was unavoidable.

The wind filled in enough for him to get the first race away on time. In a large (44 boats) and surprisingly well behaved fleet, only Chris Brown was pinged. Some significant shifts soon had the Solos spread across the reservoir but the left side of the course seemed to pay. Pete Mitchell took the gun from Tim Lewis (Island Barn) and Guy Lonsdale (South Cerney).

The second race started after one general recall. However this time the wind went well right and stayed there, confounding those who continued putting their chips on red. Again Pete Mitchell led the charge to the line followed by old hand Steve Ede and last year's Southern Area Champion, Martin Frary, in what was to be his only visit to the podium.

After a trip ashore for lunch and a bit of course adjustment, the third race was run in sunshine and a strengthening wind that feinted right but quite often swung in a left hook. This flummoxed even the best – Pete Mitchell was seen back in the late teens though he later recovered - and several of the other leading boats counted this race as their discard. Mark Maskell (Blackwater) won from Chris Brown, atoning for his earlier OCS. Coming an excellent 3rd was Laser Radial and Under 21 sailor Elliott Marks from the Home Club in a borrowed boat.

The final race needed one restart but was run in the best conditions of the day with a steadier wind and toe straps fully in use. The fleet stayed pretty well together most of the way round and so the mark roundings became quite noisy. Mitchell reasserted himself with a third bullet followed by Vince Horey (King George) and Alex Bishop (Girton).

So in the end Pete Mitchell was the convincing winner. The tricky conditions probably contributed to the fact that nobody else had more than one top 3 result. Steve Ede came second counting 13 points with Mark Maskell third with 15. Maskell was also first Veteran. Noel West (Bough Beech) was the first Grand Master and Dave Marshall, Bough Beech's Vice Commodore, took the Septimus prize.

A big thank you to Pinnell and Bax for providing some generous spot prizes, to Majestic Wines for their additional sponsorship, and not least our 30 visitors for helping to make what was in the end an enjoyable Championship.

Overall Results: